


T is for Torture

by Ultra



Series: Lost in Space [7]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Showers, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-25
Updated: 2011-05-25
Packaged: 2020-02-26 18:47:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18722827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: River understood torture; Jayne had no doubts on that.





	T is for Torture

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for basched on LiveJournal as part of a prompt meme.

With their ‘special’ route, it would be at least a week before the crew of Serenity reached their destination, and water was already in short supply. That meant any showers were to be taken only when desperate and always in pairs to conserve water.

Today was one of those necessary days, and the crew came two by two to get cleaned up. Zoe and Mal had no problems with it, they’d seen it all before in the war, and Kaylee was all for dragging Simon in for some fun. That left Jayne and River, though the latter had not been seen for hours...

Cap’n signed off on Jayne using the ablutions alone, and vowed to have words with his Lil' 'Tross just the second she were found. ‘Course, the little woman weren’t so much hiding nor lost as she was biding her time.

Jayne was in the shower room, having run just enough water to damp his skin and the bar of soap. He was getting himself all lathered up, with his back to the door and his attention on the task at hand. He didn’t know anyone else was there until the water started up running again.

It was more like a triple- than a double-take before Jayne could believe what he was seeing. As he turned around he realised that here was River Tam, not looking anything like childish, stood before him in all her naked glory. She was away from the now silent and still shower unit, soaping up her skin with a thick lather, a whole new image of the young woman getting slowly burned into Jayne’s retinas and his frying brain.

She had curves in places a girl like her had no business having them, and there weren’t no way in hell Jayne could keep from staring. She had to know he was there, though he soon realised the last thing he wanted was for her to pay much mind. He guessed the free show was an accident on her part, probably hadn’t an idea what she was doing to him, but if he thought that, then he was wrong.

River was a genius and understood almost everything. Basic biology was no hardship for her, and that thought made her giggle, knowing hardship was just the right words for what Jayne was going through now.

“If they must share water, they must be closer,” she said, done with the soap and ready to rinse apparently.

Jayne knew she had a point, but then so did he and his walking was hampered because of it. River felt him get closer and reached to put the water on again, turning to face him in the same movement. She was only torturing herself as much as him now, but it was a necessary evil and the most delightful agony to see him like this.

All those times watching from the catwalk as he lifted weights, stealing looks at flexing muscles and beading sweat that ran south to places her fingers longed to creep but never could. River needed pay-back, revenge, and it was oh so sweet to have him this close, to want her so much he literally ached to touch her, and yet could not, would not, for fear of death by never-ending space.

Jayne thought he knew what torture was, how to give it and take it, but River had rewritten all the rules inside ten minutes whether she knew it or not. Water shortage be damned, he had business he had to take care of here after she was gone...

River’s murmured laugh as she shut off the water only made matters worse.

“She is done,” she stated, making to leave, stopping at the last moment to flip her wet hair over her shoulder and peer back at him. “They must do this again, with more time to enjoy,” she told him, in such a way as to make Jayne damn near explode.

Yes, River understood torture; Jayne had no doubts on that.


End file.
